6 Days
by carzor4
Summary: 6 days - in which there is a cousin, a deal, a jealous secret admirer, and a birthday. One-shot, non-mass, ItaSaku, mild ShisuixHana. Rated T for language and themes.


Hello!

I am sorry for the lack of updating in AOSAG. I've been working on this instead...and working on homework instead of this...

Because itachi13080 guessed the Sasuke pairing correctly for my AOSAG story (SasuSaku), I am writing this prize one-shot for her.

Am I the only one who likes ShisuixHana? I mean, it's not very popular (like, it practically does't exist XD), but I like it for some weird reason. Just a note, this story will contain Shisui and Hana (Sorry itachi13080 if you don't like ShisuixHana.).

So, without further ado (with, no doubt, itachi13080 probably hates me for XD) here's the story!

Disclaimer: Masa-kun owns Itachi and Gaara. :'( I'm sad.

Warning: Jealous Itachi. You have been warned. (Language and themes.) Also, this probably will be the longest one-shot in the world... -_-

* * *

_"The other problem in my life is Dimitri. He's the one who killed Natalie, and he's a total badass. He's also pretty good-looking. Okay—more than good-looking. He's hot—like, the kind of hot that makes you stop walking on the street and get hit by traffic." ~ Richelle Mead, Frostbite_

_Peridot: a green semi-precious mineral, a variety of olivine._

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face, which was scrunched up in concentration at the moment, as green healing chakra glowed around my hands. Beneath my hands, a groan sounded out from the black haired man underneath me.

"Sorry Uchiha-san. I'm nearly done."

He nodded with a strained, painful grunt. With a last pulse of chakra to my hands, I removed the last bit of dark poison from the man's bloodstream, the poison splashing in the bin of water. I reached up and wiped my sweaty forehead, brushing back a stray strand of my light pink hair.

"I'm done."

He sighed in relief, and turned his head sideways so he could watch me as I bustled around, pulling off my surgical face mask and pushing up my sleeves as I took his blood pressure and heartbeat, along with other medical terms I'm sure he didn't know about, despite him being an Uchiha.

He blinked twice, before grinning mischievously.

"I can see why Itachi favors you."

My face flushed tomato red, and I whipped my gaze toward him and tried to look terrifying (which was fairly hard due to the fact that I was as red as red ripe strawberry).

"Shut UP Shisui!"

He cackled loudly, only stopping to cough when he accidentally drew in too much air.

"Finally! I got you to call me by my name!" he crowed in triumph, but I smack the back of his head lightly.

"Is that so, Uchiha-san?"

"Ow. Damn it."

He rubbed the back of his head, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Seriously though Shisui, you've been to the hospital nearly after every other mission, and you go on a lot of missions, considering you're an ANBU. You're lucky you're not dead yet. Compared to Itachi-san, who goes here - "

"Like, never, other than visiting other injured people?"

I shot him a rebuking glance, before turning back to my clipboard and writing a few notes down on his recovery.

"Like I was saying, before you so kindly interrupted me, Itachi-san rarely ever gets injured. He didn't even need to go to the hospital after this mission. You, on the other hand, take too much responsibility and constantly put yourself in danger." I used the end of my pencil to poke his nose, his he scrunched up at the contact.

Before he sneezed.

Right on the pencil.

"Ew..." I whined loudly, "Shisui cooties." I got a sterilizing wipe and wiped the now germ covered end with a face of disgust as I over-dramatized holding it away from my body. He doubled over in silent, shaking laughter once again, and I slapped the back of his head.

"Anyway, try to know your boundaries. No one's invincible. So give yourself a break, alright?" I sighed, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Roger, Sakura-chan. And - oh, hey Itachi!"

I whipped my head around at the sound of his name, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

What. The. Heck.

I didn't hear or sense him come in.

And I was a pretty good chakra-sensor.

After Tsunade had taken me under her wing, she noticed that I was exceptionally good at sensing chakra. She taught me how to track chakra, sense chakra traces, derail genjutsus, and determine which chakra was which from over a mile away. I mostly tuned out the chakra signatures, like ignoring the voices in a crowd on the subway, but I could easily tell if someone walked into the room, especially if it were practically empty.

Or...not...?

"God, Itachi-san, you gave me a heart attack!" I gasped, suppressing the feeling of another blush rising to my cheeks (for more than one reason) at the sight of him. He cocked his head to the side, blinking blankly. He was wearing his casual clothes, simple black and blue clothing with the Uchiha crest worn on the back.

Definitely better looking than Sasuke. Hands down. Sure, Sasuke looks like a 'bad boy' (his attitude is as bad as one, for sure) and everything, but Itachi looks mature, sexy, handsome, has a voice like silk...

Need I go on?

"How?"

I mustered up a weak glare, not able to fully glare at him.

"Uh, how about letting me actually know you're there? Like, oh, letting me actually feel your chakra before you give me a aneurysm?"

"She might want to feel something else of yours too," Shisui muttered, and I turned around with a deadly, serene smile on my face, and I brought down my wooden clipboard on the top of his head with a soft whack, and he whined in protest.

"I need those brain cells!" he cried, holding his head protectively as he attempted to protect his skull.

"You don't have any."

Itachi, who's face had been slightly twisted in a frown, and I spoke at the same time, and we looked at each other. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, the corner of my mouth twitching upwards as I tried not to smile. My heart thrummed nervously as I felt my insides seem to twist, the same way it always does when he's around. He let out a soft chuckle (causing me to feel light-headed and giddy), before turning to Shisui.

"Ah, Shisui, you should really watch out though. Should your health become an issue, you will be removed from duty."

I turned to gape at Itachi, who gave me an inquiring look. I pouted, "You were listening this whole time?"

He nodded shamelessly, and I smacked my forehead in exasperation.

"You Uchiha are insufferable. Almost as bad as Sasuke. That stubborn ass came back from his latest mission with internal hemorrhage and a dislocated shoulder, but he was 'fine', and refused getting a check-up. I had to drug his food that night to drag him into the hospital, and I practically had to babysit him to make sure he stayed. He still managed to sneak out a few days early," I growled, and Shisui laughed.

"Hah, Sasuke-chan's sure giving you a lot of trouble. What about the blond brat?"

"First of all, you have no right calling people brats when you are one yourself. Second, he's even worse. He doesn't even bother sneaking out; he just runs down the hallway and high-tails the hell out of there," I rubbed my temples with my forefingers. "He made 83 year old Sato-san faint when he ran screaming down the hall when I was holding a needle. With anesthesia inside."

Shisui hooted loudly (and ungracefully, but practically everything Shisui does is ungraceful) in laughter, and Itachi smirked.

"Oh, by the way Itachi-san, why did you come here? Just to visit Shisui?" I asked, and he nodded in reply.

"I feel so loved~"

"Hana."

"HOLY SHIT, YOU WON'T ACTUALLY - "

See, Shisui is an Uchiha. A stubborn Uchiha. Well, a regular Uchiha. Although he is actually quite strong, he is less known for his abilities than for his reputation as 'Shunshin no Shisui'. However, he is quite human (which you can tell after being ten seconds in his presence), and therefore has human qualities.

Like, liking females.

Especially a certain female known as Inuzuka Hana.

Hana, being from a veterinary background, had a few run-ins with me before. I enjoyed her company, and we discussed medical techniques.

Once, I was treating Shisui (yet again) and she walked in with one of her family's ninken, stating that it was poisoned and needed an antidote. Shisui, who had seen her come in, started showing symptoms of a certain syndrome.

Lovesickness syndrome.

He started blushing, and refused to look at her. Hana (duly noticing Shisui was indeed shirtless, which caused her to blush too) had started stuttering, and therefore, I decided to play matchmaker with the strange and unlikely, yet cute couple. Setting them up on dates, 'accidental' run-ins, leaving them alone together, and they STILL hadn't confessed to each other.

So, the anxiety of Uchiha Shisui was born.

"Look," I rolled my eyes, "You've got to tell her _sometime_."_  
_

The Uchiha, being the Uchiha, stubbornly shook his head no vehemently.

"You should, cousin. You two obviously love each other, so there's no point in delaying the inevitable," Itachi pointed out, and I snorted.

"Oh, trust me, he'll try to prolong it until he's on his deathbed. Speaking of deathbeds, try not to injure yourself again, alright?"

Shisui sighed, but nodded.

"Anyway, this is the end of my shift, and I have the rest of the day off. I'm going to have a welcoming dinner with Gaara-kun. He's here to sign some documents, and he's going to be staying a while."

Giving a cheerful smile to Itachi (which made Shisui snicker) I walked out of the room, humming lightheartedly, unaware of the upset stare on the back of my head as I walked with a jump in my step.

* * *

"Well, speaking of confessing - "

"No."

"Oh, come on! You're making me do it, but you won't?!"

"...There's others for her. Others who like her."

"So? Are you taking others' feelings into consideration now? 'Cause you didn't really care about them. In fact, I believe you said something along the lines of 'I will gore out their eyes, cut off their arms and legs, rip out their guts, hang them with their intestines, and set them on fire with Amaterasu."

"...That was the abridged version."

"For god's sake! Just tell her!"

"Fine. Only, you can't tell her. I will do it my own way. And you need to confess to Hana-san. You need to get married _sometime_ in the future. This might be your only chance."

"Sure. Wait, WHAT?!"

* * *

~Time skip to later that evening~

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I smiled softly at Gaara, who started walking towards the table, who smiled back. I decided to change out of my casual clothes and had settled for a conservative dark red dress and flats.

Gaara and I were friends. I really liked him, just for who he was. Underneath the cover of a stoic jinchuriki with a horrible past, he was actually a sweetheart. After the chunin exams, he had definitely changed for the better.

"Are you enjoying your stay at Konoha so far?" I asked, sending him a smile over my shoulder as he pulled out my chair for me before sitting down himself.

See?

A total sweetheart.

As a waiter came over, I clasped my hands in front of me while I made small talk.

"So, how are your siblings?" I asked, looking into his sea-foam eyes, and he smiled.

"They are doing great. Kankuro and Temari are jounin. Temari also does a lot of diplomatic work between countries, and accompanies me when I go to other countries as a bodyguard. Kankuro also is considered the puppet-master in our village." I grinned. Last time, we had only been able to meet for a short amount of time, but Temari and I had become friends.

""How are you doing? After, you know, the extraction..." I lowered my voice, and he blinked.

"I'm doing fine. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference in my powers, other than the fact I have less chakra. And I can still use my sand."

The rest of the dinner seemed to go by in a pleasant blur, and things couldn't really get much better. Between having dinner with a friend and a comfortable environment, there wasn't really anything that could go better.

When things can't get better, they get worse.

As I opened my mouth to say something to Gaara, suddenly, a form flashed from behind Gaara. With a jump, I quickly pulled out a kunai, readying myself to attack whoever appeared. When I recognized the person, however, I lowered my armed hand with a sigh.

"Can you ever appear without giving me a heart attack?" I threw my hands up in exasperation, pocketing the kunai.

Itachi merely stared at Gaara, who had stood up, and his gaze held things I wasn't used to before.

The times I had helped going on missions, as the medic-nin, he always had a stoic look, and only mild annoyance. I never saw him with anything other than annoyance and amusement in Konoha.

But this time? His eyes held blatant, strong dislike, and onyx eyes bore into Gaara's.

Frowning worriedly, I turned to Gaara, and I was surprised again.

Gaara also held similar emotions in his eyes, glaring at Itachi.

I whipped my head back and forth between the two, and I frowned. I waved a hand between their locked glares, and their eyes momentarily flicked to my hand before settling on glaring on the other ninja.

"...What are you doing here?" Gaara finally said, and I heard his voice strain to stay polite.

"The Hokage wished to see her," Itachi nodded towards me, his voice stoic and cool, as if he were on a mission, his face blank.

Gaara's eyes narrowed.

"The Hokage sent you to get her?"

"Yes."

As I watched them throw blunt comments back and forth at each other, their voices got more and more strained.

I tuned them out, and I was broken from my chain of thought by something rather unexpected.

I gave a small shriek as I was tossed over someone's shoulder. My eyes widened, and I felt the familiar tug I hated of a shunshin forced on me, especially when I wasn't prepared.

Suddenly, I felt my captor stop at a street I recognized as being near the center of Konoha. I looked to the left to see the kidnapper's face, and what I saw caught me completely off guard.

"ITACHI?!"

He gave me a none too happy look, and put me down on my feet, and I groaned from the headache of being teleported. It was a good thing I wasn't wearing heels. That would've been a recipe for disaster.

"God, there had to have been a better way to do that," I whined, touching my forehead gingerly. All I got in return was a slightly guilty look from Itachi.

"The Hokage is waiting for you." I sighed.

"So I heard. What was the big deal? Couldn't it have waited until dinner with Gaara-kun was finished?" I mused, and Itachi's face darkened at the 'dinner with Gaara-kun' part.

He shrugged almost angrily, before disappearing again in a whirl of leaves.

I stared at the spot where he once was, debating going to see the Hokage, or going back to Gaara, before shrugging.

Hokage tower it was.

* * *

Tsunade's P.O.V.

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in!" I called, not bothering to look up to see who it was. Kind of hard to forget that person's chakra.

"Tusnade-sama? You wanted to see me?"

I grinned wryly at Sakura, who was still dressed in her clothes from the welcoming dinner with Gaara. When Gaara had arrived, I was the one he first went to. He had admitted shyly that he wanted to have dinner with my own student. I, of course, had raised my eyebrows at him.

Seems that Gaara had a crush.

"Yes, actually. I need you to take a look at these scrolls. They contain medical techniques that we dug up from the Nara library. I wanted your opinion on how they could be used in the hospital." I yawned into my hand, slouching in my chair.

This elicited a frown on her face as she eyed the small pile of scrolls.

"Why did you need me so urgently?"

Urgently? I stopped mid-yawn.

"Uchiha-san was the one to tell you, correct?" She nodded. "I told him to tell you when you both had time. I _am_ aware of your busy schedules, believe it or not."

This caused her frown to deepen. What was the big deal?

"But...Itachi-san took me when I was in the middle of dinner with Gaara-kun." I blinked twice. Realizing her confusion, I chuckled.

"Ah...there might've been a slight communication error on my part," I said with mirth in my voice. She still looked confused, but I shooed her out, scrolls in tow.

Seems like my student was pretty popular with the boys.

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I furrowed my brow as I stepped out of the office, chewing on my lip in thought. One of the guards posted outside the door gave me a look. Or not. I couldn't really tell with those masks.

"Were you the one that Weasel was sent out for?" the guard asked, a hint of amusement in their usually blank voice. I frowned and nodded.

"Couldn't he have waited? I was in the middle of dinner. As you can see," I made a face at my dress, which luckily was not destroyed in the kidnapping process. Seriously, he knew how much I hated shunshins, and the scrolls weren't even that important. The more I thought about it, the less it made sense. Obviously, she had told him about the content of the scrolls; she said so. Was dragging me out of the restaurant and verbally fighting with Gaara necessary?

The guard chuckled softly, turning his eyes back forward. "Weasel was quite shaken up when he went here. Sloppy, actually. His chakra was all over the place from being upset."

I tilted my head. Maybe he had a bad day?

"This makes no sense…" I whined, confused, and the the other guard chuckled.

"Yes, typically Weasel's performance is perfect. This was a drastic change, but none of us would've been able to take him in the state in battle anyway," she said, amused. "He'd probably kill us in annoyance."

"Should've at least made sense for him to finish my dinner with Gaara-ku - I mean,er, the Kazekage." The guards exchanged looks.

"You were having dinner with the Kazekage?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm friends with him. Maybe that's why Itachi was so rude to him…" I mused, and the guards' chakra's flared with amusement. I stared at them. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," the woman said, containing a chuckle. "Just something we know." I wrinkled my nose in confusion, but I bid them goodbye as I decided to go home.

* * *

Itachi's P.O.V.

As I shunshined away to an empty street, I sighed. I let my emotions control my actions again.

It was hard not to with her. Yes, she was unique with her looks, she was one of the best medics, she had good chakra sensing, and even better chakra control. What was it that made me so attracted to her?

Perhaps it was her smile. The one that lit up her face, made her jade eyes shine, and she'd start laughing. Or when she lit up when she saw me. The way she could see through my mask I had mastered when I was a mere child.

Suddenly, I was reminded of the Kazekage's dinner with her. I scowled, allowing myself to show the jealousy and hatred toward someone I barely knew on my face. The street was empty, seeing as it was evening; no one had to know. The one thing, however, that irked me to no end, was the way she said his name. 'Gaara-kun'. I had known her for years, walked her home occasionally back in the Academy, and dealt with her strange infatuation with my Otouto. And yet, she insisted on calling me 'Itachi-san'. With a deep sigh, I schooled my face back into a blank mask as I walked in the direction of the Yamanaka's flower shop that would be closing soon.

The door jingled when I opened it, and Yamanaka Ino was the one working. "Welcome!" she said, back turned to me as she set down a pot with a flowering plant growing in it on a shelf.

"Sorry, do you need any help finding anything - " she paused, and gaped when she saw me. "E-Er, sorry Uchiha-san. Was there anything in particular you need? o-or are you just looking around?" she stammered, obviously flabbergasted by my unusual appearance in the store. I dipped my head towards her politely.

"Yamanaka-san, you're best friends with Sakura, correct?" She blinked a few times, before smiling mischievously.

"Yes. Why?" she asked, eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of me getting her best friend flowers. "Her birthday is coming up in about a week, the - "

"28th of March, yes. Do you know what kind of flowers she would like?"

She looked ready to squeal with glee when she ticked off on her fingers what she knew. "Hmm. She does like cherry blossoms, but those are kind of, you know, too easy. You can do better. Ooh, irises! Also, I think she'd like lilies, lilacs, camellias, forget-me-nots, and maybe slipping a few roses in there would be good. It'd be better if you added a few different types of complimentary flowers to a bouquet."

I took this all into consideration, and I nodded. "Can you put irises as the main part, with camellias and white roses into a bouquet?" She nodded. Bustling around, she found respective flowers, and arranged them carefully into a bundle. I asked her if she could wrap them with a big ribbon, which caused her to giggle happily and proclaim Sakura would love it. She handed the flowers to me, but she frowned.

"Why are you getting this now? I don't think it'll last until her birthday. It's only the...22nd," she said. I nodded, and I sighed.

"Yes, well…"

* * *

"You're kidding me."

"No."

"So Shisui-san told you he'd confess to Hana-san if you confessed to Sakura."

"Correct."

"And you plan on doing so my giving her a gift, one each day and the last day being her birthday?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me earlier?! That's sooo romantic! I wish someone'd would do that for me. She'll love it!"

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Yamanaka-san, I'd also appreciate it if you didn't tell Sakura about this. I plan on telling her on the 28th."

She nodded, suddenly looking serious. "Of course. We can't ruin the surprise."

I pulled out money for the flowers, but she shook her head. "It's free. Since you're doing it for Sakura, I don't really feel like taking money from you. Oh, and one last thing?" she said, and I raised an eyebrow. "Come see me for more ideas about what she'd like!"

I nodded again, and I shunshined away. I bought time for a few hours, waiting for nightfall. After deeming it late enough, I shunshined to her street where her house was, a small but cozy place she was fond of. She insisted on having a house instead of an apartment, saying she wanted the experience of having her own place. Making sure I masked my chakra, and that she was inside and asleep.

Setting down the flowers gently on her doorstep, On a whim I decided to write a small, ambiguous note along with it. Scrawling a 7 neatly on a blank piece of paper, I set the paper next to the flowers, and disappeared with another shunshin.

* * *

6 - 23rd - i

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I yawned as I sat up in bed.

Tsunade had apparently given me a day off, saying I should just read the scrolls and come up with ideas, which allowed me to stay at my house.

I changed quickly after a shower, and I stepped out of the door to go get groceries, when I paused.

There, on my doorstep, was a bouquet of flowers. My eyes widened at the collection of what I liked, irises and camellias, and my mind whirled as I tried to discover who it was. My eyes trailed left, and I saw a piece of paper with a '6' on it with ink.

...What?

I stood, blinking for a minute, trying to figure out what to do. A quick chakra scan deemed it not dangerous, but you can't be careful enough, right?

Sighing, I decided to visit Ino. Maybe she could tell me who got the flowers; she, after all, worked at the best flower store in Konoha.

* * *

I stared flatly at Ino, who grinned mischievously.

"Why won't you tell me?!" I whined softly, leaning on the counter, and she giggled.

"Look, I promised. Besides, I think it's totally romantic. Giving you a bouquet of flowers~" she sighed giddily, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"It'd be a lot more romantic if I knew who it was."

"But Saaaaakuraaaa~ It'll be a mystery. You'll learn who it is eventually - but for now, you have a secret admirer!"

I sighed, but resisted the blush rising on my face. Who could it be?

Not Naruto, he was infatuated with Hinata now. His crush was in the past.

Sasuke? ...No. Just no.

Lee? He'd probably just come up to me and confess his 'ever-lasting love in the springtime of youth' or something. I was fine with him as a friend, but...

Gaara? No, he doesn't really seem the type.

I scrolled through a list of boys who I knew, but none of them seemed to fit. Finally, I got to a name.

Itachi? ...

Unaware to me, my face had been turning a rather interesting shade of red, the same redness of the man's little brother's favorite fruit. Ino smirked at me.

"Found someone you want it to be?"

With a small squeak, I nearly dropped the bouquet, and she giggled. I glared weakly at her, but she smiled.

"Sorry. I told the person I wouldn't tell you. Hey - I can at least tell you this person is at _least_ a 8 on my rating scale." Ino had a rating scale on the overall of various boys she'd judge. Looks, the way they talk, what they talk about, what they like, etc. She graded harshly. She even gave _Sasuke_ a 7.5 a while ago, saying his blunt attitude wasn't really ideal anymore. I stared wide-eyed at her, and she grinned.

With a sigh, I bid her goodbye, but not before I decided to make a quick purchase for a clear flower vase.

* * *

Itachi's P.O.V.

"So what are you going to give her next?"

I paused, and I thought about it.

"...Sakura likes sweet things, correct?"

Ino nodded.

I blinked as I thought about the possibilities. "What if I gave her candy?" Ino chuckled wryly.

"She'd love you. Even if you looked like...well, even if you looked like Gai mixed with Kakashi with Asuma's smoking problem, and Anko's craziness. She'd still love you 'cuz you got her candy."

Today was my day off, and I decided to make the most of it.

After milling around, enjoying the peacefulness of a civilian day, I decided to go to the candy shop, and the door jingled when I opened it. With bubblegum pink and mint green walls, I sweat dropped slightly at the Sakura feel to it.

"Welcome! Is there anything you need help with?"

After shaking my head, I decided to go through the aisles, picking up whatever I thought she would like.

On another whim I decided to get a few tomatoes in a street stall.

I went back to the Uchiha compound, plastic bag in hand. Walking through the halls, people double-taking when they saw the bag, I finally reached the center on the compound, reserved fro the head of the clan and family.

"I'm home."

"Welcome, Itachi-kun - is that a bag in your hand?" Mother paused, staring at it.

"Yes...?"

She smiled uncertainly. None of us ever needed to go grocery shopping; Mother or someone else would do it.

I took out the multitude of candies, laying them out in neat piles on the dining table. Mother glanced at them over my shoulder and frowned in confusion.

"Who're they for?"

I glanced at her and looked away guiltily. She blinked at them for another moment, before a slow but sure grin started to form on her face, and I sighed.

There was no backing out of this now.

"You giving those to a girl?!" she gasped, and I nodded slowly. She lit up like Christmas lights. "Who?!"

I sighed. "You can't tell anyone..." She nodded in response.

"Haruno Sakura."

She grinned in delight. "Sasuke-chan's teammate? Good choice. She's very pretty, smart, respectful, and will make a good wife for you one day."

I mentally cringed.

The marriage accusations were already forming.

Of course, I didn't mind if Sakura wouldn't...

Suddenly, I felt Sasuke enter the room.

"Hello Otouto."

"Hello Nii-san. Wait, what?" he paused, staring at the candy.

I sighed again, and I threw two tomatoes at him, which he caught easily. "Don't ask," I said dryly to his raised eyebrows.

He seemed to debate it in his head, but he decided the tomatoes were good enough, and he shrugged and went upstairs to his bedroom.

"When are you delivering these?"

"This night. I don't want her to know who it is." I took one of the toffees, pulled it out of it's wrapper, popped it in my mouth, and I sucked on it with contention.

I have a sweet tooth.

Sue me.

"What?! Why?!" she asked incredulously.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm posing as a secret admirer. I'm going to tell her my identity on her birthday in a week."

She squealed, and the corner of my mouth twitched up in amusement.

I got up and grabbed a clear plastic bag, one for gifts, and I piled the candy into it, tying it off with pink and green ribbons.

Now, just to deliver it...

* * *

5 - 24th - t

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I sighed in frustration as I opened the door and saw a small baggie with something of different colors, with the familiar slip of paper, with a '5' on it.

I bent down to pick it up as a pout came to my mouth.

I stayed the whole night, trying to see if I could sense a difference in chakra, and then I could see who it was.

Maybe an ANBU?

I sighed in frustration as I held the bag to my face to see what it was.

I gaped.

Candy.

The person gave me candy.

Of everything, from jewelry to plush dolls, the person got me _candy_.

I'm.

In.

Love.

I'm not sure if I should try even harder to see who it is, or whether to enjoy the suspense. And the obviously good gifts.

Still, if it were, say, Lee, I think I'd even give him a chance.

Happily putting the bag in my purse for the day, I skipped off to work.

I'm gonna stop by the Yamanaka flower shop on the way.

* * *

"I'm in heaven~" I squealed as I sucked on the toffee, savoring the sweetness spreading in my mouth.

Ino giggled. "Not gonna ask who it is?"

"Nope. I'm happy whoever it is."

"It's Gai-sensei."

I froze, processed the horrifying thought, remembered the candy, and then shrugged as I opened another piece of toffee.

"Don't care."

She sniggered, and replied, "Don't worry, it's not Gai. It's someone waaaaay better..." she smirked.

I just took a lollipop and stuck it into my mouth.

* * *

Work, as usual, was typical, and afterwards I went home.

On the way back, however, I ran into Gaara.

"Gaara-kun!" I said, pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect to see Gaara on my street. "What're you doing here?"

He smiled softly, and held up a box.

"I wanted to give this to you, and wish you a happy birthday. I'm leaving tonight," he explained, and I smiled.

After walking the rest of the way to my house, I invited him in.

"Happy birthday," he smiled wryly, and handed me the box. I laughed, and I took it from him and I was surprised at the weight of it. It wasn't _that_ heavy, but you could tell it had stuff in it.

I ripped off the wrapping paper, and I was presented with a black box with pink and green patterns on it, imitating vines.

"The box is pretty," I beamed.

"I saw it, and I was immediately reminded of you," he said softly, and he gestured towards the box. "Open."

I lifted off the cover, and I was shocked at what I saw. I spluttered at what I pulled out, and he grinned softly.

"I - You - This is too expensive!" I cried, my eyebrows shooting to the roof as I saw the price tags on the admittedly gorgeous dresses.

There were three dresses.

The first was a black halter neck, down to my knees.

Second was a red sleeveless dress down to the middle of my thighs.

Third was a pretty white dress that went all the way to my ankles.

"Gaara-kun..." I flung my arms around his neck for a moment, and he froze in shock, before awkwardly patting my back. I let go quickly, and I beamed.

"Thank you!"

He nodded awkwardly, obviously not used to the familiar contact.

* * *

"..."

"Look, I know you're pissed and all, but there's no need to sulk. He's gonna be gone for her birthday, right?"

"...Yes, but..."

"Look, she hugged him big deal."

"..."

"Okay, fine, you typically don't hug just a friend. But still, what're the chances that she's interested in him?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Whatever."

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

After saying goodbye to Gaara, who was leaving Konoha after visiting me, I eagerly went to bed, and I didn't even bother to make sure I checked for who it was who gave me the gifts.

Little did I know, that was the one day he got lucky I wasn't paying attention.

* * *

Itachi's P.O.V.

I let out a soft growl when I remembered the Kazekage was in Sakura's house. After learning about the gifts the Kazekage gave Sakura, I was determined to give her a gift that we both knew costed quite a bit of money, as well as being well thought out.

And so I entered the jewelry store.

* * *

"Itachi-kun...you really are serious, aren't you?"

"...Yes."

"You got her such an expensive present! Hopefully she'll like it."

"...I hope so."

* * *

4 - 25th - a

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I gasped as I saw a small, expensive looking velvet covered box sitting on my doorstep. I bent down to grab it, noting the scrawled '4' on another sheet of white paper. I opened it slowly and my eyes lit up in wonder.

They were two wings, angel wings. One was plated in gold, and the realistic feathers were accented with hints of silver. The other wing was slightly smaller, with the opposite color scheme, and studded with various sized diamonds. I felt sick as I realized how much this must've cost.

6,300...no, 6,500 ryo?!

I could hardly imagine anyone spending that much money on a _necklace_.

Nevertheless, I put it on and smiled in happiness and flattery.

I hurried to the Yamanaka flower store to tell Ino the news.

* * *

I hurried home from work, and I passed Itachi on the way back. "H-Hello Itachi-san..." I stuttered, and tried not to blush when I saw him in full jounin gear.

Typically, I saw him in either ANBU gear or casual clothes. I assumed he was doing a regular jounin mission.

"Hello Sakura."

I side-stepped him, and ran home. When I closed the door, I sank to the ground, a flaming blush on my face.

I didn't see the small smile grace his already perfect face when he saw a flash of metal on my neck.

* * *

"Thanks for the shopping trip guys," I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head. Ino, TenTen, and Hinata smiled back at me.

"Well, you do have to look good for your birthday," Ino said firmly. I furrowed my brow.

"Can't I just wear the dresses Gaara got me?"

"Pffft. No. Don't. You're gonna piss off your secret admirer."

"Secret admirer?" Hinata wondered softly.

"Oh! You didn't hear about that yet?" Ino cried, and started explaining quickly.

"Yeah, sounds like he'd be _pissed_." TenTen grinned. I blinked.

"Wait, do you guys know who it is?"

"Obviously," Hinata and TenTen replied at the same time.

I pouted.

"How come everyone knows but me?!"

* * *

"By the way, Uchiha-san, she needs more shampoo and conditioner."

"...I see."

"You should get her some that smells how you want it to!"

"...Alright."

* * *

3 - 26th - c

* * *

A slip of paper with a '3'.

A box.

I blinked at the box, before bending down to pick it up.

Lifting up the lid, I smiled.

Candles, of various different colors and scents laid innocently in the box.

Whoever knew me probably knew about my stressful job.

Well, if they were a secret admirer, they would probably know my job.

* * *

2 - 27th - h

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

Another slip of paper with a '2'.

As I looked at the spectacle, I was flabbergasted.

"H-How did they...?"

I was staring at the two bottles of shampoo and conditioner, with green and pink ribbons tying them up.

My eyes widened.

Of course!

Everyone said they knew who it was, so one of them must've tipped the person off.

But...

I flushed slightly when I picked it up and examined the label.

"Apple...scented..."

I was going to take an extra nice bath when I got home today.

Maybe I'd even light some candles.

* * *

"Inooooooo..." I wailed, and I pouted when she giggled.

"What?"

"I can't figure out who it is..."

"Well? What have you narrowed it down to so far?" she mused, leaning forward.

"Well, the person has to have a lot of money," I said flatly, eyeing my necklace. She laughed.

"Yup."

"And they need to be considerate."

"Yup."

"Kind."

"Yup."

"Thoughtful."

"Yup."

"Hot."

She blinked at me.

"Er...why?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "'Cause you gave him an 8 on your rating scale."

She 'oh'ed, and smirked, "Yup." I groaned.

"I can't figure out who it is!" I whined, and I sat back with a pout.

"Having girl troubles?" Ino's father, Inoichi smirked amusedly. I pouted.

"Well, he has to be rich, so from one of the big clans, maybe heir. Also considerate and kind..." I mused. I frowned when I narrowed down the choices.

"I don't think it's Sasuke for obvious reasons," I said bluntly, and Ino giggled. "The only person it can be that I can think of is...Itachi."

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"I-It's not him, is it?" I said hopefully at Ino, but she just shook her head slowly.

I sighed.

The only person I wanted it to be - and it wasn't him.

* * *

1 - 28th - i

* * *

Sakura's P.O.V.

I glanced at the calendar with a circle on the 28th - today, my birthday.

I smiled as I opened the door, expecting a gift, and I halted.

There wasn't anything there.

I paused for a few seconds, trying to think of an explanation for the lack of a gift. I shrugged, deciding the person probably'd decide to give a gift to me today later, at my birthday party.

Of course, I didn't organize it.

Ino decided that I absolutely needed one, so, well.

Essentially half the village is going to be there.

I sighed at her antics, and I started walking to work.

* * *

"You called me, Tsunade-sama?" I asked, as I shut the door to her office.

She nodded, before smirking at me.

"Happy birthday." I groaned.

"I think half the hospital's said that to me now," I sighed. She laughed loudly.

"Anyway, Sakura, I think you should go home early. Today's your birthday, so take a day off," she waved a hand at me dismissively.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Tsunade-sama, I - "

She shot me a rebuking look. "Sakura, you work the hardest at the hospital. You overwork yourself and you hardly ever take time off. Sheesh, it's your birthday. Go have fun, prepare for your party."

I sighed.

There was no escaping a determined Tsuande.

* * *

~Later at the party~

* * *

I frowned at Ino, who smiled innocently at me.

"You just had to bring out all the guns, huh?"

The party was in full blast, and frankly, it looked more like a rave dance party than a birthday party. There were lights everywhere, and the air was filled with fake smoke.

She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I might've gone a bit over the top."

"Ya think?"

I stopped conversing with Ino as I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Hm...?" I murmured, turned around, and froze.

Itachi, who once again, looked like a solid 10 on my scale. Dressed in dark blue and black Uchiha clothes, similar to the ones Sasuke typically wore. A black shirt with a high collar, Uchiha clan symbol on the back, and plain pants - he looked like the god of sexiness, despite the simple clothes.

Really, if Sasuke was hot, Itachi was bone-meltingly sexy.

"H-Hello Itachi..." I stumbled over my words, and he chuckled.

He leaned in closer, and brought his mouth to my ear. I froze yet again, feeling a soft breath on the shell of my ear, and I heard his chuckle into my ear, the vibrations making my spine melt.

"This is quite the energetic party," his voice purred, and I flushed a deep rouge.

"T-Thank you...? Really, Ino was the the one who organized it..." I managed to choke out.

"Ah, the Yamanaka... Sakura, I've always wanted to tell you this..."

"Yes...?" I breathed, and he leaned closer to me once again.

"I like you. I always have admired your kindness, your determination, your beauty. Go out with me."

I stared, wide eyed, as my heart seemed to flutter nervously in my chest.

He smiled slightly at the gape on my face, the smile he only smiled for me.

"I-I... Wait - were you the one who gave me the gifts?!" I said in shock, and he smirked softly, causing my knees to go weak, like they always did around him.

His smirk still preserved on his face, he leaned forward yet again, and my heart wreaked havoc in my ribcage as his lips brushed softly over my cheek.

"Happy birthday."

He slipped something into my hand, before standing upright again and walking away, giving a small nod to Ino, before pausing and looking at me again.

"I'll be waiting for your answer."

I looked at what he gave me.

It was a slip of white paper with a '1' on it.

I turned back to Ino, who I admittedly had forgotten about in the melting proximity of my crush.

"That...was so _hot_," she giggled, and I frowned.

"Wait...you said it wasn't Itachi."

She smirked deviously.

"Actually, I shook my head when you asked 'It's not Itachi, is it?' I shook my head no to it wasn't Uchiha-san," she said proudly, and I groaned at her find of loopholes in my speech.

I shook my head at her, her laughter filling my ears, when I smiled softly.

I was going to find Itachi.

* * *

"Figures you'd be here," I said exasperatedly. He leaned over the railing, and gave me a raised eyebrow.

"So what's your answer?"

I blinked.

"...My answer?"

"I asked you out."

"O-Oh. I - That is, um - "

He sighed, and turned back to look over the railing.

"...Yes or no?"

I pressed my lips together as I thought about it.

Did I want to be with Itachi? A hundred yeses.

Did I want Itachi? Even more so.

Did I want to look like a lovesick girl who slobbered all over a gorgeous boy she had a major crush on? No.

I paused for a second, trying to make it look like I was thinking, instead of trying to suppress my Inner who was screaming 'YES!'

"Y-Yes."

His normally blank eyes lit up, and I couldn't help the euphoria bubbling up in my chest.

He stood up straight, crossed the distance between us, and he gripped the sides of my face gently as he pressed his lips firmly against mine.

I gasped involuntarily, and he smirked against my lips. After the shock wore off, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed furiously back.

This was the best birthday I've ever had.

* * *

~A month later~

* * *

"Wait," I wrinkled my nose, and Itachi, who was holding me in his lap, raised a perfect eyebrow. I was contemplating my recent birthday (admittedly the best in my life) and I had a question maelstrom swirling in my mind.

"What made you decide on the gifts? ...What made you do it in the first place? Wait, was that why you were so pissed with Gaara-kun?"

He smirked, and I pouted.

"Come on Itachi-kun~ Tell me!"

His smirk shift into a smile as he pressed a gentle kiss onto my temple.

"Think of the main parts of each gift. I was...less than pleased when you had dinner with the Kazekage. And I did it because my cousin refused to confess to the object of his affection unless I did the same," he said, truthfully, and I blushed happily.

I paused as my mind whirred.

"Well, the first you gave me was flowers. The second was candy, the third a necklace," I paused as I fiddled with it on my neck. "Fourth, candles. Fifth, shampoo and conditioner." He smirked, and brought up a lock of my hair to his lips and kissed it, looking at me with a smug look in his eyes. He let go, and pressed his nose into my hair.

"U-Uh, sixth, you gave me..." I frowned. "Wait. You didn't get me anything for my birthday," I whined jokingly, and he chuckled softly in apology.

"Irises, toffee, angel, candles, hair."

I gaped as the pieces came together in my mind.

"W-What?! I could've figured out who you were from the presents?! Wait...what's the last 'i'?"

He smiled again, the one reserved for me, as he wrapped his arms around me midriff, hugging my body closer to his, and pressed another kiss to my cheek.

"I love you."

* * *

Awwww. :D

Yeah, no.

My writing sucks.

itachi13080, I'm sorry for the (really) late one-shot. In apology, this one-shot is about 8,000 words long! (Holy shat XD)

Anyway, please leave a review, you kind (non-existent) readers! Please?

Thank you to all who actually lived through reading to the end :)


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